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Scar
Scar is the younger brother of Mufasa and uncle of Simba. Scar is the main antagonist of The Lion King. Scar is highly intelligent and charismatic. He is a psychopathic individual who is mainly concerned with gaining power and will kill anyone he sees as competition. Despite his ruthless nature, he is a somewhat cowardly individual, more likely to run away from violence than confront it. He doesn’t care much for family relations. He is also an expert manipulator, having tricked both Mufasa and Simba into situations with the intent of getting them killed (successfully, in the case of Mufasa). Appearance Scar is elegant and poised, but also unkempt and wild looking. He also speaks with an English accent. He is perhaps the most evidently feline lion in the film, lithe and melanistic in appearance with a sleek, black mane, brownish-orange fur and distinctive, almond-shaped green eyes. He has large, tan paws with long, curving black claws that unlike those of other lions in the film are always bared and never retracted, perhaps alluding to his vicious nature. Scar also sports a white goatee beard, characteristic of villains, particularly the evil twin archetype which is fitting given his relationship with Mufasa. Finally, Scar has a small, thin, red scar over his left eye, thus earning him his namesake (which happened during his younger days). Some of his physical traits were also based in part on his original voice actor, Jeremy Irons. Personality Scar is a very intelligent, vicious, brutal, cunning, evil, diabolical and power-hungry character. He was known to be very resentful of Mufasa andMufasaSimba because Simba's birth ruined any chance of him becoming king, suggesting why he envies both Mufasa and Simba. His resentment and anger towards Mufasa was strong enough that, after he usurped Mufasa's place on the throne by murdering him, he outlawed Mufasa's name being uttered, especially not in a favorable light. He seemed to possess somewhat of an inferiority complex, which presumably also acted as another reason for his resentment for Mufasa, as evidenced by his sad resignation to the fact that he was passed over in the gene pool regarding brute strength. Scar is egotistical and prides himself on his intelligence, saying "As far as brains go, I got the lion share" and was somewhat of a narcissist, the latter trait being especially prevalent when plotting the murder of Mufasa after the hyenas' failed attempt at murdering Simba at the Elephant Graveyard where he mentions that when he becomes king, they will see him "for the wonder I am." He has some odd quirks that he is aware of, as, when Simba affectionately states "You're so weird," Scar tells Simba "You have no idea". Scar was heavily sardonic, frequently replying to attempts at conversation with sarcasm and subtle insults. After taking over Pride Rock, Scar's overall demeanor took a turn for the worse, becoming somewhat deluded, if not in self-denial, in believing that he is still an efficient ruler despite clear evidence to the contrary, apparently being unwilling to admit even to himself that Mufasa was a better king or finding fault in his own leadership. He seemed to also develop serious paranoia after Simba returned regarding what Simba was going to do with him, as he attempted to attack Simba after Simba repeated the same words Scar told him when Simba planned to exile Scar for murdering Mufasa due to fear that Simba would pull a similar stunt that Scar himself pulled on Simba after he said those words. In addition, when Simba first revealed himself upon his return to Pride Rock before Scar realized it was Simba, Scar backed away while in disbelief that Mufasa survived, fearful that his role in Mufasa's death would be exposed. Scar was a coward at heart, preferring to run away from violence and manipulate others into fighting his own battles for him although when backed into a corner, he would fight back, although this could also be because he would lose everything if he lost. In the face of his cowardice, he was really strong-willed and determined, defending his throne to his last breath. Scar was highly intelligent as he himself liked to boast, easily able to manipulate situations and conversations to his advantage. However, he was lazy, hedonistic and self-centered, causing him to be a desperate ruler. He liked to pretend to be physically weak stating "When it comes to brute strength, I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool" in order to get his opponents to underestimate him. Despite this, he was actually a fierce fighter who held his own against the bigger and much younger Simba and came very close to killing him. However, Scar will not hesitate to cheat in a fight, as seen when he flings embers into Simba's eyes, temporarily blinding him, to gain the upper paw. Scar was a very charismatic individual, able to inspire the hyenas to follow his cause and gain fanatical loyalty. Regarding his treatment of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, he was somewhat harsh with them, as evidenced by his berating them regarding their failure to kill Simba, and his angrily throwing them out after they made the mistake of mentioning Mufasa. Despite this, however, he seemed to value them as friends, as evidenced by his remark when he finds the hyenas waiting for him before he realized they intended to kill him for his remarks, as well as his attempts at apologizing to them falling on deaf ears when he realized it was too late to ask for forgiveness. He was also a sadist, convincing his own nephew he was responsible for Mufasa's death and then taunting him for it further. Despite his negative traits, he did attempt to encourage Zazu to sing a more "bouncy" song, other than "It's a Small World After All", which he apparently finds to be extremely annoying (like a lot of people do in real life), because when Zazu starts to sing it, Scar snaps at him, telling him to stop ("NO, no! Anything but that!"). The Lion King After the presentation of Simba, Scar is seen trapping an unsuspecting field mouse underneath his paw and lifting it slowly to eye level. He laments aloud how life isn't fair, as he will never be king. To make himself feel better, he tells the mouse that it will never see the light of another day, chuckles evilly, and then bids it adieu, lowering it slowly into his jaws. Just before the mouse enters his mouth, Zazu interrupts, asking mockingly if his mother ever taught him not to play with his food. Scar responds with annoyance and tries to devour the bird after he points out that Mufasa won't be pleased with Scar's absence at Simba's ceremony. Just as he traps Zazu in his jaws, Scar is stopped by Mufasa, who commands Scar to release Zazu. Begrudgingly, Scar does, leaving the hornbill drenched in saliva. He approaches Mufasa, carelessly invading the king's personal space as he mocks his brother, but Mufasa moves on to more pressing matters, accusing Scar of skipping the ceremony. Scar reacts again in mock surprise voice, pretending to feel "simply awful" for missing the presentation. Zazu points out that Scar should've been first in line at the ceremony, and Scar snaps his teeth at the bird, pointing out that before Simba was born, he had been first in line. Insulted, Mufasa meets his brother's eyes, clearly stating that the Simba is his son and the future king. Scar manages a sarcastic promise to practice his curtsy, turning his back and walking away from his brother. He veils a threat when Mufasa addresses him again, riling up the larger lion, who demands to know if he's been challenged. Scar reassures Mufasa that he wouldn't dare challenge the king, as he doesn't have the brawn to do it. He then navigates around Mufasa and Zazu, and strides off into the savannah. Many seasons later, with Simba now a lively cub, Scar is visited by his nephew, who is excited about being given his first tour of the Pride Lands. Scar reacts with seething anger and annoyance as Simba gleefully points out he will be king one day. Not noticing his uncle's scowl, he asks Scar what he will be once he is king, to which Scar replies, "A monkey's uncle." Simba laughs, calling his uncle weird, and Scar moves on in the conversation, taking interest in the cub's previous statement about being shown the whole kingdom. Scar guesses aloud that Mufasa hadn't show Simba what's beyond the northern border, and Simba instantly saddens, explaining that he has been forbidden to go there. Scar immediately affirms Mufasa's decision and purposefully lets it slip that the forbidden land is an elephant graveyard. In reaction to Simba's amazement, Scar claims that Simba would've found out eventually. He then makes Simba promise to stay away from the graveyard and pushes the cub off with a paw, knowing that the young lion's curiosity will eventually draw him there. Scar's plan to kill Simba is foiled by Mufasa when the lion comes to the cub's rescue and fights the hyenas off. From atop a knoll, Scar watches in seething anger as Simba and his friend Nala are led out of danger by their savior Mufasa. For this, he scolds the hyenas, debating whether to provide them with food or not, as he'd "practically gift-wrapped the cubs for them." Still angry, he drops a zebra haunch to his minions, who devour the meat amid protests that they couldn't have killed the cubs with Mufasa in their defense. Banzai points out that the only thing they could do is kill Mufasa, a statement which makes Scar smile and launch into "Be Prepared." During the song, Scar plots to kill Mufasa and Simba and claim the throne with the help of the hyenas, who agree to his plan. The following day, Scar lures Simba to the gorge and instructs him to wait on a rock for a "marvelous surprise" which Mufasa has planned. Simba is extremely curious, opting to go with Scar, but the lion abruptly refuses his request. He brings up the incident with the hyenas, making Simba a little more compliant about staying on the rock, and suggests that while he's there, he work on his roar. Scar begins to move off when Simba addresses him again, asking if he will like the surprise. The evil lion smirks, telling Simba that the surprise is "to die for." From atop the gorge's walls, he gives the signal to the hyenas, and they start up a thunderous stampede, comprised of hundreds of startled wildebeests. Scar finds Mufasa and in a staged panic, tells him about Simba being trapped in the wildebeest stampede. Both lions run to the gorge, spotting Simba clinging desperately to a weak branch. Mufasa jumps into the sea of hooves, and Scar drops his act of panic, swatting Zazu into the wall of the gorge, rendering him unconscious. The dark lion slithers across the ridges of the gorge, never taking his eyes off Mufasa's position. After rescuing Simba, the king leaps onto the gorge's walls, clinging to the side of the cliff, but Scar meets him at the top. After taking time to drink in Mufasa's helpless form, Scar slams his claws into his brother's paws and reveals his treachery by sinisterly whispering, "Long live the king," before he throws Mufasa to his death. The newly labeled murderer meets Simba at the bottom of the gorge, and upon seeing the cub curled up underneath Mufasa's broken body, he manipulates Simba into believing that Mufasa's death was his fault, because"the roar that Simba worked on caused the stampede." He then instructs Simba to run away and never return, setting the hyenas on him as the cub disappears down the gorge. When Scar returns to the pride, he delivers the news of Mufasa and Simba's deaths, feigning grief. After this, he introduces the hyenas to the pride and ascends Pride Rock to truly assume the crown. Following the start of his reign, he allows the hyenas to over-hunt the Pride Lands and deplete the land of its plentiful resources. Slowly, the Pride Lands fall into decay, with Scar remaining in his cave with not a care in the world about the famine. Meanwhile, the lionesses continue to grieve for their lost king and prince. As meals begin to become more skimpy, Scar traps Zazu in a bone cage and forces the hornbill to sing to him as he lazes on his throne. When Zazu accidentally slips Mufasa's name, Scar reacts with rage, demanding Zazu never mention his brother's name in his presence. Shortly after this, the hyenas come before Scar, complaining. Even Scar's minions, who are used to going hungry for days, start to complain to Scar about the larder being bare. Scar, however, continues to pick his teeth with the bones of his previous meal, telling them to leave his cave when Banzai angers him by mentioning Mufasa's name as well. Shortly after this, Scar calls Sarabi to him, asking her why the hunting party refuses to do its job, not accepting Sarabi's excuse that the herds have moved on. Scar merely passes their unsuccessful hunts off as the lionesses not looking hard enough. When Sarabi suggests they leave Pride Rock, Scar makes it clear that he isn't moving the pride anywhere. Sarabi angrily points out that his decision will end in the deaths of them all. Scar turns his back on her, telling her that he's fine with this and that he is the king, so he can do whatever he wants. When she insinuates that he isn't half the king Mufasa was, he strikes her, causing a full-grown Simba, who was observing the entire scene in secret, to spring from hiding in his mother's defense. Scar at first mistakes him for Mufasa, but when it's made clear that it is Simba, he glares at the hyenas and cowers away as his nephew begins to back him into a corner. Scar makes it clear that he isn't resigning and points to the many hyenas above him, reminding Simba that they think he is the king. However, Nala and the lionesses reject him, and Simba threatens to fight if his uncle doesn't step down. Scar slinks around Simba, hinting at Mufasa's death. The prince then tells Scar that his trick won't work, but the lionesses are curious as to what Scar is talking about. Pleasantly surprised, the king forces Simba to admit his responsibility for Mufasa's death and proceeds to back Simba over the edge of Pride Rock's peak. As Simba slips off the peak, using his forepaws to desperately cling for his life, Scar suddenly remembers Mufasa in a similar situation years ago. Slamming his claws into Simba's paws, Scar leans in and whispers to Simba that he is responsible for Mufasa's death. Enraged, Simba hurls himself over the cliff and pins Scar down, a paw pressing down on his throat. Scar tries to weasel his way out of the situation, but his nephew's choking forces him to admit what really happened all those years ago. The hyenas then attack Simba, prompting the lionesses to rush in to fight off the hyenas, during which Scar slinks away. Simba spots him, however, and gives chase. Trapped at Pride Rock's summit, Scar begs Simba for mercy and even places the blame on the hyenas, unaware that they are listening nearby, but Simba refuses to believe him. He then asks Simba about his intentions, relieved when his nephew decides not to kill him making it clear that Simba wasn't going to resort to killing a member of his own family like Scar had done. He is soon horrified when Simba gives him his own advice: to run away and never return. Scar seemingly begins to cooperate, but then throws embers into Simba's eyes and attacks him while he is blinded. The two lions engage in a brutal fight, and at first they seem to be evenly matched, but Scar eventually knocks Simba onto his back. However, as Scar leaps to deliver the final blow, Simba uses his hind legs to flip Scar over the edge and send him tumbling down the cliff. Scar survives the fall, and as he struggles to his feet, the hyenas arrive; Scar greets them in a pleasing manner, but to his horror, they reveal they overheard Scar blaming his crimes on them, and they begin to surround their treacherous fallen master. Scar cowardly pleads for his life, but the hyenas have had enough of his treachery and broken promises. The hyenas surround Scar with wide grins and close in, leaping on Scar and mauling him to death as flames rise around them.